If a PCI (Peripheral Components Interconnect) card and a server on which the PCI card is mounted is compatible with hot plug (also referred to hot swap), the PCI card can be replaced even though the server is in operation. When the PCI card of the server in operation is replaced, a device driver, a controller for hot plug and the like recognize a PCI card after replacement, and communication using a unique MAC address, WWN (World Wide Name) or the like that the PCI card after replacement has will begin.
By the way, a problem sometimes occurs when the server begins communication using a unique MAC address, WWN or the like that the PCI card after replacement has. For example, there's a system in which a relay apparatus such as a switch retains a MAC address, a WWN or the like of a server allowed to connect to a storage device and allows connection to the storage device only when the relay apparatus received a connection request from the server allowed to connect (for example, a system that performs zoning). In the system like this, the relay apparatus cannot determine whether the connection to the storage device is allowed or not if the MAC address, the WWN or the like of the server change because of the replacement of the PCI card. Therefore, a server whose PCI card was replaced is not allowed to connect to the storage device to which the server is normally allowed to connect.
Conventional techniques related to the management of addresses are as follows. Specifically, there is a technique in which a virtual MAC address is allocated to a virtual NIC (Network Interface Card) to communicate properly in a virtual environment. Furthermore, there's a technique in which an address conversion table for managing correspondence between a physical address and a virtual address is equipped in the virtual environment to convert an address in individual cases. However, this technique cannot address the problem that occurs if a PCI card of a server in operation is replaced.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2009-177375
Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2009-181418
In other words, there is no conventional technique for making it possible to prevent a communication problem that occurs after a PCI card of a sever in operation is replaced.